Yemeni security seizes arms shipment in southeastern port

Yemen's security authorities seized
a large shipment of mortar shells in the port of Mukalla in
southeastern province of Hadramout on Wednesday, a military
official told Xinhua.

Around 180,000 mortar shells,
several boxes of pistols and automatic rifles were discovered
inside the container at the southeastern port of Mukalla in
Hadramout province, the local military official said on condition
of anonymity.

"Initial reports show that the
shipment loaded with various kinds of weapons and mortar shells
coming from Iran," the military source said, adding that "the
security authorities and a team of the intelligence agency are now
investigating the case."

Meanwhile, another official of
Yemen's custom authority told Xinhua anonymously that "the shipment
was sailing to another country and docked at the port just to
refuel."

Similarly, on Nov. 3, Yemeni
authorities seized non-civilian cargo in the southern port city of
Aden, which the Yemeni Defense Ministry said was shipped from
Turkey. The arms had been found in boxes used for biscuits in a
container dispatched from Turkey.

The impoverished Arab state,
already awash with weapons, is undergoing a UN-backed political
transition struggling to settle security challenges and reunite the
divided army in order to pave the way to launch a national
reconciliation dialogue, delayed until later this month. Endi